The U.S. military has been tracking suicides annually since 2008, and the survey shows that of the 23 million veterans in the United States, 45 percent are mentally ill and as many as 200 thousand are homeless. On average, 22 veterans commit suicide every day, about 8,000 a year which is 50 percent more than civilians.
Once out of the army, veterans often face a special social environment. First, they will lose their old social security (pensions and health care). More than 1.2 million of America's 23 million veterans are now uninsured, but some will need long-term hospital treatment. Second, after veterans get used to the army life, it is difficult for them to return to normal social life. Most of them also struggle to find work, because some companies see America's veterans as an "alien species", they fear they will have a sequela of war and struggle to understand how their fighting skills translate into the ability to serve civilians. Some veterans also suffer from severe stress disorder, commonly known as "veterans' disease" caused by job trauma. 45 percent of veterans in the United States are mentally ill and feel isolated, which is why they are reluctant to restart their social lives, become homeless or commit suicide.
Under pressure, in 2017 the department of veterans affairs (VA) launched the millions of veterans suicide prevention demonstration program to find a solution. VA is the only federal agency that provides substantial hands-on assistance directly to the homeless. The country's largest network of comprehensive homeless assistance programs provides a wide range of services and initiatives to help veterans recover from homelessness and live as self-sufficient as possible. These services include the provision of transitional housing, mental health, and technical assistance in areas such as education and employment opportunities for the homeless. If you need help, please use this link to get more information. VA:https://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/homeless-veterans-programs.html
Written by: YingQi Huang
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